Congratulations to Dianne Sletton on becoming the new Assistant General Manager and Director of Business Operations for the Broncos. Click here for our story from Swift Current Online. First impressions? Good communicator with a varied background and a great passion for the franchise. It says something that she was at the community interaction meeting in February just as a supporter. As a long time season ticket holder this team means a lot to her.

I liked what Dianne said about reaching out to the communities throughout the southwest. She knows the whole region after having worked with the Southwest Enterprise Region. That’s part of what has been a career with good variety for her. She was even a news and sports reporter at CKSW… and I think we all know that news and sports reporters are the smartest and most talented people out there!

Seriously though, a news background helps her understand dealing with media/people, a sales background helps in dealing with/targeting clients, etc, etc. If you read the article I linked to again you can see all the hats she can bring to the office. That’s exciting. I look forward to seeing Dianne and the whole great team at he office get to work implementing the new strategic framework of the organization.

How different will things be under Dianne than Jordan? Who knows. They come from different backgrounds and experiences. The thing that made them both great for the job though was their personal investment in the franchise. They both have long relationships with the Broncos and so they care deeply about what happens to the team. That’s a vital starting point.

I just wanted to say I’m sorry to see that the Islanders are not bringing former Broncos Coach/GM Dean Chynoweth back next season. He had been an assistant there for three years. I obviously don’t know the Islanders inside and out… but it sure seems unlikely to me that the two assistant coaches are really what is holding them back after years at the bottom of the standings.

I don’t know Dean at all, but people who do know him expect he will be back on his feet with a new opportunity in no time. Coaching sure is a tough game. It’s always your fault when things go wrong and so rarely your responsibility when they go well. Good thing they all love it.

PLAYOFF WATCH

I caught the third period of Kamloops and Portland last night. Kudos to former Broncos broadcaster Jon Keen for a great call of a very memorable game. You’ve got to love the heart and determination Kamloops showed. First they got down 3-0 in the series, then they got down 4-0 in game 4 and came back to win, then they got down 5-2 in game 6 and came back to win. They sure smell like a team of destiny don’t they? Well there is a reason few teams ever come from down 3-0… it’s very tough to beat any great team that many times in a row. Portland will be ready.

Games like that or the big Ottawa 67s overtime win today (former Edmonton broadcaster AJ Jakubec calls the action for them) really make me miss calling playoff action. I have still yet to get my first taste of it in the WHL. I’m sure the atmosphere here is electric when it happens.

Kamloops coming back and a similar comeback by Halifax in the QMJHL could give Vancouver and Pittsburgh fans some hope in the NHL playoffs. How amazing a story would it be to see two teams come back from down 3-0 to meet in the finals? It’s about the only way my Eagle 94.1 FM playoff pool will get saved! I’m right now at risk of losing 16 of my 20 picks thanks to those two teams. Someone just get me a dart board next season!

So far things aren’t going well for former Broncos in the post-season. Aaron Rome, Dale Weise and the Canucks are on the brink down 3-0 to LA. Ian White and the Red Wings are down 3-1 to Nashville. Zack Smith and the Ottawa Senators played a whale of a game 3 and still lost so they’re down 2-1 to the Rangers. Cody Eakin hasn’t played, but his Washington Capitals are also in a 2-1 hole against Boston. Unless one of these teams can turn it around we may be left without any former Broncos in the second round!

The playoffs have been amazing so far. Unpredictable, intense, physical, dramatic and so many overtimes. I agree with all those who want to eliminate the big head shots from the game, but I also love the physical intensity we’ve seen. Some media will call what Ottawa did in game 2 with the Rangers garbage hockey. I call it inspired gamesmanship and the willingness to go to war together. I love how much Philadelphia and Pittsburgh hate each other. There is a reason champions are covered in scars. The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in the world to win and it’s a pleasure watching these athletes put it all on the line.

There can be a balances. Throw the book at the guys taking obvious liberties… but the physical intensity and animosity has always made the playoffs what they are. There is nothing better in professional sports than the first round of the NHL playoffs. I love every second of it… and I sure can’t predict a darn bit of it.

PINK DAY

If you want to stand up against bullies tomorrow (Wednesday) is the day to wear pink in the Chinook and Holy Trinity school divisions. There’s no better fashion statement!

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

About shawnmullin

Play by Play Broadcaster for the WHL's Swift Current Broncos on 94.1 FM The Eagle.

Southwest TV News is saying that she’s the first female Assistant General Manager and Business operations director. That’s embarrassing, sexist and disrespectful. There are other women in the league doing the same job. Sorry for bringing that up here Shawn, but Southwest TV News doesn’t have a webpage to comment on their stories like you do.

To be fair the Broncos themselves state as much in their press release so it’s not something Southwest TV news is pulling out of thin air.

I think it’s a matter of semantics. As far as they know, Dianne is the first female to hold the title of Assistant GM in the league. There are other women who carry out similar duties (directing business operations) with different titles.

All that said I didn’t even mention it in my story because personally I believe the focus should be on her accomplishments, qualifications, abilities, plans, etc… rather than on her gender.

I don’t have a problem with people celebrating diversity, but I believe we have come far enough as a society that a woman being in a position of power shouldn’t have to be a big story. Even in sports — a traditionally male dominated world — we are seeing more and more women at the very least in the business side of the game. Hopefully we will see large roles for them on the sports side too.

I say Dianne should be defined by her work and her qualities. That’s what I chose to focus on in my story. I can’t speak for others. But SWTV got that info from the press release and the press conference for the record.